Career Strategist & Storyteller Helping You Get Career Happy

Careful What You Wish For…

I saw a quote the other day that I absolutely loved, “Never stop learning because life never stops teaching.”

I find that there are lessons every day, if we are paying attention. Sometimes it is our job to learn, sometimes to teach. My boys are rarely thrilled when they are the recipients of the lesson and I am the teacher. The dogs, on the other hand, seem perfectly fine with it.

As I was fixing a morning snack of crunchy peanut butter on toast, I had three sets of eyes glued on me. Three cold little noses trying to sneak a sniff of the peanut butter as it was melting on the toast. They really wanted that peanut butter. I do not particularly care for noses near my food.

So I took out a piece of bread and spread the peanut butter on it and tore it into three pieces. You would think I was rewarding their behavior, but hang in there with me. As I gave each one their piece, at the last second I popped the peanut butter side to the roof of their mouth.

They got the peanut butter they wanted along with a lot of head tilting, tongue lashing and confused looks.

And yes, I said it out loud, “Careful what you wish for.”

My puppies are adorable, sweet and a fountain of unending unconditional love; they also aren’t thinkers.

They want something, they go after it, consequences be damned. They do not have the same thought processes we do, or they have really bad memories. I can attempt to explain consequences or ask them if they have thought this through; but they rarely answer.

As a Career Coach, I hear people frustrated with where they are often stating they want something completely different. I’m good with that and fully encouraging of doing what you love to do. I think it is great. I just find myself in the role of devil’s advocate.

Have you thought this through?

Changing careers can seem like an easy fix or the one thing that will solve all your problems; but are you sure? What will it take to get into the new career? What skills are necessary? What is going to be expected of you? What is the negative side of where you want to go? How long is it going to take you to achieve the level of success you desire?

That whole grass looks greener on the other side thing.

Before you start getting jealous of your neighbor’s yard, take a step back and see what it takes to get there. Seeding, fertilizing, watering, cutting, mulching, trimming – it takes a lot of work to get it to look that nice. You may just be seeing the end result of a LOT of work, time and money. Once you get it to that stage, yes, it looks easy.

If you are not willing to commit to taking care of the grass, don’t wish for the perfect lawn.

I am normally a stanch advocate for looking for the positive; however in this case, I am advocating for looking at the negative. This will help you be fully prepared for what you want. You will have a better understanding of the sacrifices that are required to get to that utopia.

What you might just find out is that your lawn looks pretty darn good. Redirect your energy just a bit and it can become the lawn you wish for without having to start all over again.